This House of Lords Library briefing sets out a short history of the Schengen Agreement and provides a timeline for major events in its development. It also provides further information on recent developments, including the temporary reintroduction of border controls by member states in response to recent increases in refugees and migrants from outside of the Schengen Area and in response to the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015.
Schengen Agreement: A Short History (365 KB , PDF)
The Schengen Agreement concerns the removal of internal border checks between countries which have agreed to comply with the Schengen acquis (or body of law). It also provides for cooperation in police and judicial matters and sets rules for checks at external borders.
It has its roots in an agreement signed in 1985 between Belgium, France, the then Federal Republic of Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. It was first incorporated into the European Union’s legal framework by a protocol to the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam. Today, the Schengen Area consists of 22 EU member states and four non-EU member states.
The United Kingdom is not part of the Schengen Area but it does participate in the Schengen Information System which shares data between member states, and in certain police and judicial cooperation agreements.
Schengen Agreement: A Short History (365 KB , PDF)
This bill seeks to implement the government’s commitments to modernise the asylum and immigration systems, establish a border security command and introduce enhanced powers and offences to tackle immigration crime and people smuggling gangs. It has completed its passage in the House of Commons and is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 2 June 2025.
The US has announced significant increases in tariffs on imports, although has delayed full implementation. Many economists view tariffs unfavourably, arguing that they raise prices, reduce competition and risk retaliation. But others suggest that tariffs may benefit the country that applies them. UK exports to the US face an additional 10% tariff. This could be negative for UK exports and the economy. But there could be some upsides for the UK if the US goes ahead with higher “reciprocal” tariffs on many of the UK’s competitors.
In October 2024, a House of Lords committee published a post-legislative review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The committee argued that the legislation was no longer world-leading. It suggested developments worldwide had led to the UK falling behind internationally and that recent immigration legislation had limited the act’s support infrastructure for victims. It called on government policy to recognise the difference between migrants coming to the UK willingly and victims of trafficking.
